Process of producing hydrogen.



UNITED STATES i gENT OFFICE.

CARL BOSOH AND WILHELM WILD, 0F LUDWIGSHAFEN-ON-THE-RHINE, GERMANY.

ASSIGNORS TO BADISCHE ANILIN & SODA FABRIK, 0F LUDWIGSHAFEN-ON-THE-BHINE, GERMANY, A CORPORATION.

rnocnss or PRODUCING HYDROGEN.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that We, CARL Boson and 'WIL-HELM \VILI), citizens of the German Empire, residing at Ludwigshafen-on-the-Rhine, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Processes of Producing Hydrogen, of which the following is aspecification.

It is stated in the specification of- Patent No. 417,068 that hydrogencan be obtained by passing carbon monoxid and steam, eithersimultaneously or alternately, over nickel or metallic cobalt, but thatthe preferred method of carrying out the reaction consists in passingthe two gases simultaneously, at the same time employing the leastpossible amount of nickel and cobalt, and with this object the aforesaidmetalsarc spread on a non-metallic indiflerent refractory and por shapedinto the form of blocks, such for instance as briquets, cubes, tubes,rods, or the like. Under the term carbon monoxid we include both carbonmonoxid itself and also gases containing it such for instance aswater-gas and generator-gas. Catalytic agents can be prepared from thefinely-divided nickel with the employment of suitable diluents which mayact as binding agents and may be either organic or inorganic in nature.Excellent results can be obtained by preparing an oxid, hydroxid orcarbonate of nickel, either by precipitation from solutions of itssalts, or by heating suitable salts, such for instance as the oxalate ornitrate, while avoiding too high a temperature, then molding theresulting products and if necessary heating before introduction into thereaction furnace. It is often advantageous to add such compounds as,upon heating, give rise to gas either by decomposition or by completevolatilization, since this tends to increase the porosity of thecatalytic agent. The decomposition can be promoted by passing a gas orgases, -such Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 29, 1913. Serial No. 798,005. w

gases or water-gas, over orthrough the mass.

PatentedOet. 6, 1914.

During the production or use of the catalytic agent, the nickel mayremain in the metallic state, or may become more or less oxidized, orlts condition may vary from time to time, consequently we regard theoxide as equivalent to the metal for the purposes of this invention. Theproduction of hydro gen by the aid of such catalytic agents can becarried out by adding an excess of steam to a gas containing carbonmonoxid, such for instance as wateras, or a gas of similar composition,and t on passing the mixture of gases over the catalytic agent and subsequently removing the carbon dioxid which has been formed. The action ofthe catalytic agent is very satisfactory at tempera tures of about from400 to 500 C., or even less down to 350 C., but temperatures above 650C. should be avoided. It is advisable to keep both the catalytic agentand the gases free from substances such as sulfur and chlorin which havea deleterious action on the catalytic agent.

Much better results can be obtained when using the new form of catalyticagent according to our invention than is possible when following thedirections given in the aforesaid Patent No. 417,068, and this could nothave been foreseen since in the majority of catalytic reactions suchporous high percentage blocks have not been used. Thus, for theproduction of sulfur trioxid, the agent used consists of asbestos withfinely divided platinum distributed over it, While,

for oxidizing ammonia, the catalytic metal is used in the form of wirenetting. For hydrogenizing fats the metal is used in the form of powderor of a colloidal suspension. Thenew catalytic agents employed accordingto our invention, however, are characterized by not sintering when usedand also by maintaining their shape and not breaking down to powder.

The following example will serve to illustrate further the method ofproducing a catalytic agent and of producing hydrogen by its means, butwe do not in any way restrict our invention to this example. .The partsare by weight. Prepare a nickel hydroxid paste by introducing 5 parts of25% milk of lime into 7 parts of molten nickel nitrate, add 10 parts ofprecipitated green nickel oxid (NiO), knead the whole well,

- The proportions given in the above ex-' ample and also the materialsemployed can be yaried considerably without departing from the nature ofour invention. Any

tendency to form undesirable quantities of methane can be checked by theuse of a larger excess of steam.

In our application Serial No. 798,006 of even date We have shown thathydrogen can be obtained using cobalt in a similar man ner to thatdescribed in the present application when using nickel. It is thus seenthat nickel and cobalt are equivalentand therefore in the presentinvention a part of the nickel may be replaced by cobalt.

Now what We claim is The process of producing hydrogen by passing carbonmonoxid and steam, at a temperature between 350 C. and 650 (1,simultaneously over a catalytic agent in lumps containing more than 30%of nickel and a non-metallic, indiflierent, refractory and p0- rousmaterial.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

- CARL BOSCH.

W'ILHELM WILD.

Witnesses:

J. ALEo. LLOYD,

S. S. BERGER.

